Guillermo Stábile did not play in Argentina’s opening group game. Making his debut in the second match against Mexico due to first choice striker Roberto Cherro suffering an anxiety attack, he scored a hat trick to cement his place in the team. Two more in the next group game against Chile helped Argentina to progress into the semi-finals.

Argentina took apart the USA in the semi-final, a 6-1 victory with Stábile racking up two more World Cup goals. Argentina suffered defeat in the first World Cup Final, losing 4-2 to Uruguay, Stábile scoring once. With only thirteen teams competing in the first World Cup the number of matches was limited, Stábile getting his eight World Cup goals in only four matches to retrospectively receive the Golden Boot award.

Sixteen teams competed in the Italy 1934 finals, a straight knockout competition without group stages. Players would have only four games, barring replays, to rack up their goals.

Nejedly scored in the first round win against Romania and added another in the quarter-final 3-2 victory against Switzerland. Czechoslovakia beat Germany 3-1 in the semi-finals with Nejedly recorded as having scored twice. The Czechs were unable to overcome Italy in the final, with Nejedly not finding the net in the 2-1 defeat.

As such, Oldrich Nejedly was originally credited with four goals, sharing his World Cup goals tally with Angelo Schiavio (Italy) and Edmund Conen (Germany). However, in 2006 FIFA officially credited Nejedly with all three goals in the match against Germany, this hat trick giving him five goals and making him the World Cup top scorer and Golden Boot winner for 1934.

Leonidas da Silva, affectionately known as the ‘Black Diamond’, scored a hat trick in Brazil’s first round win against Poland, the game finishing 6-5 after extra time. The quarter-final tie against Czechoslovakia ended in a draw, again after extra time, Leonidas scoring Brazil’s only goal with former Golden Boot winner Oldrich Nejedly scoring for the Czechs. A replay two days later saw the Brazilians come out on top, Leonidas scoring once in the 2-1 win.

Leonidas was rested for the semi-final against Italy, perhaps unwisely, Brazil suffering a 2-1 defeat against the team who would go on to win the tournament. Leonidas scored twice in the third place match against Sweden, Brazil winning 4-2, his seven World Cup goals securing the Golden Boot for 1938.